“I came to the point where I could no longer speak to work,” said this 37 -year -old technological marketing manager. At the end of the day, it was nothing but because of the tremors and the cough. ”
His doctor prescribed a radiography that revealed a mass on his lung.
“(My doctor) advised me to go to the emergency room, thinking of a blood clot,” she remembered.
After about six hours of additional exams, she was announced that she was suffering from stadium lung cancer.
“It was one of the most devastating moments in my life,” she said. My first reaction was: “I know how this story ends.” And for me, it was like a death sentence. “
She was in good health, was active and did not smoke.
“Receiving a cancer diagnosis has been a shock. And then, receiving a diagnosis of lung cancer was very confusing for me, “said Ms. Hulan, who was diagnosed in Toronto at the end of 2020 and who has since moved to Victoria where she continues her treatment.
It is part of the growing number of non-smokers that doctors see for lung cancer. Although smoking remains the main risk factor, the Canadian Cancer Society believes that around a quarter of lung cancer in the country affect non-smokers.
Particularly affected women
In addition, these cases among non-smokers are more numerous in women than in men, and we do not know exactly why, said Jessica Moffatt, vice-president of programs and the defense of rights to the foundation for pulmonary health.
“One of the theories is that estrogens could promote tumor growth, but these are just theories for the moment,” she added.
What scientists know is that environmental factors contribute to the risk of lung cancer, especially radon.
According to Health Canada, long-term exposure to radon-an invisible radioactive gas resulting from the decomposition of uranium in the soil and rocks-is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. The ministry claims that Radon is present at various degrees in each home and it everyone encourages to obtain a radon test kit to check their levels.
Other risk factors include exposure to secondary smoke, asbestos and fine particles present in air pollution, said Moffatt.
While forest fires rage across the country, the effects of this smoke are “a major concern” and are the subject of studies to determine the risk of lung cancer, she added.
Dr. Rosalyn Juergens, medical oncologist at McMaster University and at the Hamilton Health Sciences Center, stresses that studies show that people living in areas where air pollution rates are high presented a higher risk of developing lung cancer.
More and more cases
In almost 20 years of practice, she has “certainly” noted an increase in the number of non-smoking patients with lung cancer.
“When I started, it was rare – not impossible, but infrequent – to see a person who has never smoked. And we see more and more, ”said the Doctor, also president of Pulmonary Cancer Canada.
We do not know if the number of non-smokers with lung cancer is higher or if they simply represent a larger proportion of patients, because the number of smokers is lower than ever, she said.
Many of her non-smoking patients are women, but people are simply not aware that lung cancer is a female health problem, she added. When non-smokers present themselves to their office, their cancer is often at an advanced stage.
“Lung cancer is more frequent in women than in those who die from breast, ovary and cervical cancer,” said the doctor.
“One in five women never touched a cigarette in her life.”
Although organized lung cancer screening programs are in place in British Columbia, Ontario and Nova Scotia since 2022, they only target smokers-non-smokers therefore do not benefit from this early detection.
In addition, lung cancer is often not the first concern of doctors when non-smoking patients consult for a cough, said Juergens.
“The problem with lung cancer is that the symptoms are generally very subtle. Your lungs do not have nerve endings. So you won’t have bad. You will never feel a size, ”she said.
Precision medicine
But the good news for many patients, according to Ms. Juergens, is that the treatment of lung cancer has increased considerably since the 1990s, when chemotherapy was often the only option.
“We use what is called new generation sequencing for the vast majority of lung cancers, which helps us to determine the exact type of lung cancer and choose appropriate treatments,” she added.
This precision medicine has transformed the initial life expectancy of Katie Hulan, six months old, an average of five to six years. A biopsy revealed that his cancer had an ALK genetic mutation, one of the twelve biomarkers allowing drugs to specifically target cancer cells, and present only in approximately 4 % of cases.
“When I learned this news, I had a real shock. I had my life in hand. I had hope. My oncologist said to me: “You won the lottery, you have great years ahead of you,” she said.
Almost five years after her diagnosis, Ms. Hulan continues to take a tablet for her treatment, has never used chemotherapy, feels “beautifully well” and is determined to live for a long time and fully.
She now campaigns for Lung Cancer Canada to claim equal access to targeted anti -cancer drugs throughout the country and to encourage people to consult a doctor if they have a cough that lasts more than two or three weeks.
“I think the rumor wants us to have smoked and that is not at all the case,” she said.
“Anyone with lungs can develop lung cancer.”
Health coverage of the Canadian press is supported by a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. The Canadian press is solely responsible for this journalistic content.
